Malware Research Manager – Rapid Response (Cortex)

Our Mission At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place. Who We Are In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us! We believe collaboration thrives in person. That’s why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes. Job Summary As the Manager of the Rapid Response (RR) team, you will lead a group of malware analysts responsible for developing, improving, and deploying our rapid anti-malware prevention capabilities. Your team is on the front lines of statically analyzing urgent customer issues, stopping malicious activities in their tracks, and developing to halt attacks at the earliest possible stage. In this role, you will guide the team’s technical direction, drive automation initiatives, and act as the critical bridge between frontline support, global research, and engineering. Key Responsibilities Lead, mentor, and develop a team of fast-paced malware analysts, fostering a "play to win" culture. Oversee the daily triage, investigation, and resolution of urgent customer escalations, specifically False Positive (FP) and False Negative (FN) malware prevention events - ensuring swift and accurate mitigation. Drive the team's automation efforts, identifying opportunities to automate routines to reduce response times and scale the team's capabilities. Direct the analysis of emerging malware families, OS internals, and attack frameworks to ensure the team maintains an up-to-date overview of the current threat landscape. Guide the development of rapid, high-quality prevention signatures (e.g., YARA, IPS) to enhance product coverage. Act as the primary technical escalation point and work in close coordination with global research teams, support, engineering, and other cross-functional stakeholders. Qualifications Required Qualifications 2+ years of experience managing or technically leading a security research, SOC, Incident Response, or malware analysis team. Strong technical background in malware analysis, OS internals, and the broader threat landscape (including common attacker tools, tactics, and techniques). Experience managing high-pressure customer escalations and team resources in a dynamic, fast-paced environment (with the understanding that rapid response occasionally requires handling critical issues during non-regular hours, and in rare cases, weekends or holidays). Strong sense of ownership, exceptional organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively. Experience with signature development (YARA, IPS) Familiarity with Python, Git, and data querying (SQL/BigQuery), coupled with a strong mindset for driving automation and process digitization within a team. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, with the ability to articulate complex technical issues to both technical and non-technical cross-functional teams. Our Commitment We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com. Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.